Nutritional Composition and Sensory Properties of Biscuits As Influenced By Zonocerus Variegatus Powder Substitution

In many parts of the world, feeding a growing population while protecting the environment is a pressing challenge. Traditional farming methods, which rely heavily on cattle and other livestock, require vast amounts of land, water, and feed, and they generate significant greenhouse gases. Scientists and food experts are increasingly looking toward alternative sources of nutrition that are efficient and sustainable. One such source is edible insects. Unlike the livestock most people are familiar with, insects can convert feed into body mass with remarkable efficiency and require far fewer resources to raise. Among the various species consumed in Africa, the variegated grasshopper is a familiar sight in local markets and a traditional part of the diet in several communities. This insect is not just a cultural staple; it is also packed with protein, healthy fats, and essential minerals. The question researchers are now asking is whether this nutrient-dense ingredient can be seamlessly woven into everyday foods that people already eat, such as biscuits, without changing the taste or texture that consumers expect.

A team of researchers at Afe Babalola University in Nigeria set out to test this idea by turning the variegated grasshopper into a fine powder and mixing it into standard wheat biscuits. Their goal was to see how much of the wheat could be replaced by the insect powder before the nutritional benefits were outweighed by changes in how the biscuit looked, smelled, or tasted. They prepared four different batches of biscuits. The first batch was a control made entirely of wheat flour. The other three batches had small portions of the wheat replaced with the processed grasshopper powder: one with 5 percent, another with 10 percent, and the final one with 15 percent. Before turning the insects into powder, the researchers cleaned them, boiled them to ensure they were safe to eat, seasoned them with salt and spices, and then deep-fried them until they were crispy. This processing step was crucial because it transformed the whole insect into a dry, shelf-stable ingredient that could be easily mixed into dough.

When the researchers analyzed the nutritional makeup of the resulting biscuits, the differences were clear and consistent. As the amount of grasshopper powder increased, so did the protein content. The plain wheat biscuit contained just over 9 grams of protein per 100 grams, but the biscuit with 15 percent grasshopper powder contained over 15 grams. This represents a significant boost in the building blocks needed for body growth and repair. The fiber content also rose steadily, moving from about 2 grams in the control to over 5 grams in the highest substitution batch. The mineral profile shifted as well; the biscuits with more grasshopper powder contained higher levels of iron and zinc, two minerals that are often lacking in diets based heavily on grains. For instance, the iron content nearly tripled in the 15 percent batch compared to the plain wheat version. The researchers also found that the biscuits contained improved levels of essential amino acids, which are the specific types of protein the body cannot make on its own, as well as higher amounts of vitamin A.

However, adding the insect powder did not change the biscuits in a perfectly straight line. The fat content, for example, did not simply go up as more grasshopper was added; it fluctuated, with the 10 percent batch having the highest fat level. This happened because the grasshoppers were fried in oil before being ground, and that oil became part of the final mix. Similarly, the carbohydrate content did not drop steadily as the wheat was replaced, because the complex interaction of all the ingredients meant the final numbers were influenced by the whole recipe, not just the single substitution. The researchers also checked for anti-nutritional factors, which are natural compounds in some foods that can block the body from absorbing nutrients. They found that levels of these compounds, such as tannins and oxalates, remained very low across all batches, suggesting the biscuits would not interfere with nutrient absorption.

The final test was whether people would actually want to eat these insect-enriched biscuits. A group of fifty volunteers tasted the four different versions and rated them on a scale from one to nine for color, smell, taste, texture, and overall liking. The plain wheat biscuits were the most popular, receiving the highest scores for color and taste. As the amount of grasshopper powder increased, the scores for these attributes dipped slightly. The biscuits with 15 percent grasshopper powder were darker in color and had a slightly different texture, which made them less preferred than the control. Despite this, the biscuits with the insect powder still received scores above the midpoint of the scale, meaning the panelists found them generally acceptable. They did not taste like bugs in a negative way; rather, the seasoning and frying process gave them a distinct flavor that the tasters found pleasant enough to eat.

The study concludes that it is possible to create a biscuit that is significantly more nutritious by swapping out a portion of the wheat for processed grasshopper powder. The 15 percent substitution level offered the best nutritional upgrade, doubling the protein and fiber compared to the standard biscuit, while still remaining a food that people would willingly eat. The researchers noted that because the insects were seasoned and fried before being added, the final taste and nutritional profile reflect that specific preparation method. This suggests that while the concept works, the exact outcome depends on how the insect is processed. The findings offer a practical path forward for using a locally available, sustainable resource to improve the nutritional quality of everyday foods without requiring consumers to change their eating habits drastically.